Chase Classic Motors Revives The Forgotten 1981 Chrysler Imperial

When Chase Classic Motors goes hunting for hidden gems, they never shy away from a challenge—and their latest find might be one of Chrysler’s most misunderstood luxury cars ever: the 1981 Imperial. Purchased by Eric Laesch for just $500, this Light Seaspray Green-colored 50,000-mile high-tech, high-hopes coupe now joins the growing Chase Classic Motors fleet, promising a deep dive into one of Detroit’s strangest comeback stories.

Chrysler’s Ambitious Gamble –

The 1981 Imperial wasn’t just another Chrysler. It was Lee Iacocca’s statement car—a personal luxury coupe designed to prove that Chrysler still had class and confidence during one of its darkest hours. After nearly going bankrupt in the late 1970s, Chrysler bet big on this two-door flagship to restore its reputation among Cadillac and Lincoln buyers.

Built on the J-platform shared with the Chrysler Cordoba and Dodge Mirada, the Imperial aimed for timeless elegance with a bustle-back rear end, razor-sharp front grille, and hand-assembled quality. It was supposed to feel like a Lincoln Continental Mark VI or Cadillac Eldorado but with a more futuristic twist.

A Luxury Car With Space-Age Tech – 

Underneath the sheet metal, Chrysler packed the 1981 Imperial with some of the most advanced features of its time. The car came standard with digital gauges, electronic climate control, and an on-board “information center” using glowing green vacuum-fluorescent displays—a first for any American production car.

The Imperial also carried a new constant-flow electronic fuel-injection system, developed by Chrysler’s own electronics division in Huntsville, Alabama, which had previously worked on NASA’s Saturn and Apollo programs. It was bold, innovative—and problematic.

Owners complained about stalling, hard starts, and poor reliability, forcing Chrysler to retrofit many cars with traditional carburetors. The change helped drivability but damaged the car’s high-tech image. Even Lee Iacocca himself would later admit that the EFI system’s failure was one of Chrysler’s biggest embarrassments of the era.

The Sinatra Connection – 

If you bought an Imperial in 1981, you weren’t just buying a car—you were buying into a lifestyle. Chrysler partnered with Frank Sinatra, Iacocca’s longtime friend, to promote the car. The “Frank Sinatra Edition” included unique Glacier Blue paint, blue Mark Cross leather seats, and a special Mark Cross gift set with a leather portfolio, key fob, and even a “Sounds of Stereo” cassette featuring Sinatra himself.

Each Imperial was hand-finished and individually tested at a new quality-assurance center next to Chrysler’s Windsor Assembly plant. Chrysler wanted buyers to believe this was a handcrafted American luxury coupe built to rival the best Europe had to offer.

A $500 Gamble With History – 

Fast-forward four decades, and the Chase Classic Motors crew—Ross Urtel and Eric Laesch—have taken on one of their most ambitious rescues yet. Eric’s $500 find might look like an ’80s relic, but under the hood lies a masterpiece of Mopar ambition.

Together, they’re diving deep into the Imperial’s controversial fuel-injection system to understand how it worked and why it failed. Their goal isn’t just to make the car run again but to show viewers the truth behind one of Chrysler’s biggest “what-ifs.” The project is a love letter to 1980s Detroit engineering, where bold ideas sometimes went down in flames but always left a fascinating story behind.

A Second Chance For A Forgotten Luxury Icon –

Chase Classic Motors isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty—and this Imperial deserves another shot at the spotlight. Once they’re finished reviving its V8 and cleaning up its elegant Mark Cross interior, the 1981 Imperial could finally sing again, just like “Ol’ Blue Eyes” intended.